We all know sustainable design is the way of the future. But in some areas, going green hasn’t quite become the way of the present yet. With the slowing housing market, rising costs of materials, and a looming economic recession, many developers continue to more or less “put off” incorporating sustainable design until it starts making more financial sense or is forced upon them by regulations.

An unreceptive market doesn’t mean developers have to forego environmental responsibility altogether, however.

There are steps a developer can take—even within the general parameters of a traditional development—to make a smaller mark on the environment without affecting the bottom line.

All it takes is some creativity and a knowledgeable team of engineers and land planners to help incorporate as many sustainable measures as is practical for the site and the project.

With the growing public interest in “green” living, it’s an added step that may end up reaping even greater rewards down the road.

A Changing Landscape
In California, Arizona, and other areas of the West, environmental restrictions are tight, forcing developers to sacrifice profits, affordability, or both. In today’s housing climate, that’s often a trade developers throughout the country won’t—or can’t—make.

“The housing affordability index in Los Angeles is something like three percent,” says Bill Daleure, a developer with Crosland in Charlotte, N. C. “In Charlotte, it’s 71 percent. That’s a big difference.”

What’s more, he says, thanks to those environmental regulations, the average homebuyer in the West is now more accustomed to green features and will often pay more for them. Buyers in the Southeast, however, aren’t quite there yet.

“Out west, they’re putting in solar cells that sell power back to the grid when the houses aren’t using it,” said Daleure. “That’s not something I’ve seen work here yet. When you explain those kinds of features to people, they like it, but they don’t want to pay for it.”

But that situation is changing, especially at the regulatory level. Environmental agencies in the Southeast are getting more stringent with their rules, and developers are being forced to follow suit. And with the implementation of Phase II of the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), more cities and towns are coming under even tighter stormwater and runoff scrutiny, further dictating a site’s design.

“Ten years ago, if we had 100 acres, we would ask the designers to lay out lots on 100 acres,’” Daleure says. “But now it’s the reverse.”

Today, according to Daleure, the ­design team must first consider all the environmental constraints involved—wetlands, streams, slopes, tree save, etc.—and then determine how much impervious material is allowed, where the water quality ponds will be, and where open space can be maintained. Finally, the team can look at what’s left for the roads and lots.

“While it takes a lot more work, it does change the thought process,” says Daleure. “And you often make better places when you do that.”

Making Better Places
Most developers do, in fact, want to “make better places” and incorporate more environmentally responsible practices, but they aren’t quite sure what’s feasible.

Tom Waters is the developer of The Vineyards at Lake Wylie, a 600-acre luxury residential complex under construction in southwest Charlotte, N. C.

The location selected for the Vineyards came loaded with a number of environmental challenges. Seated on a peninsula in a critical watershed, the site is replete with wetlands, vegetation, and sensitive wildlife habitat.

Waters and his group, Provident Development, not only wanted to be sure they adhered to all of the required regulations and permitting processes, but also wanted to do right by Mother Nature. That is, they wanted to do whatever was practical to protect the fragile environment and include it as an inherent part of the new development.

“That much of a sustainable scope was fairly new to me,” said Waters. “But we wanted to embrace it. With so much focus on water quality these days, any time you can create a community using sustainable design, I think it will be market-acceptable and market-saleable.”

With that goal in mind, Provident put together a team of civil engineers and environmental scientists to come up with several ideas for protecting the project’s delicate surroundings and incorporating sustainability. After meeting with the local representatives of the state’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the consultants sat down with Provident to figure out what was possible for the site and for the project’s budget.

“We worked with the developer to show him which elements assist in helping the environment the most at the least cost,” said Dan Latta, a project manager with consulting engineering firm Stantec. “We agreed to do certain elements, and showed him what costs to expect versus the costs of other required or elected measures.“

For the many wetlands, for instance, buffers and stormwater management systems were essential. To be sure those areas were protected, the design team added larger buffers around the lake, extra erosion control measures, and higher runoff treatment levels and installed rain gardens as primary runoff containment areas. The designers also reduced the amount of mass grading on individual lots and steep slopes to save trees, leaving nearly 200 acres as open space.

Working with the local zoning agency and environmental groups, the project team also preserved one especially sensitive area as a Blue Heron rookery. Although that meant a loss of potential lots, the project team wanted to not only protect the birds’ habitat but also create a unique living experience in a community that exists in harmony with nature.

With the many natural buffers, trees, and water features incorporated into the site, the final design allowed that vision to work.

“It all makes for a better community,” Waters says.

Building Relationships
Finding the balance between environmental conservation and marketable properties, however, is not easy. All parties involved in a project—from the site engineers and developers to the local officials and regulators—must work closely together to find compromises and solutions.

For many projects, these more sustainable techniques often don’t fit within the city or state’s normal standards.

That means the project team must communicate regularly with local officials to establish new engineering standards based on the environmental benefits and positive long-term effects the new changes would incur.

Project teams can also look to local conservation groups for support. The Sierra Club and others may be willing to help the project team review environmental goals and philosophies and endorse the project.

Bill Daleure in Charlotte has found such collaborations beneficial. He credits a local building association for especially helping him work with regulators and officials on environmental issues.

The Real Estate Building Industry Coalition (REBIC) is a group of Charlotte-area home builders, developers, engineers, contractors, bankers, and other related professionals with an organized staff specifically dedicated to local regulatory issues. They can explain the costs or market effects of a proposed rule change to officials, lobby for regulatory changes, advise developers on the parameters of new regulations—in short, they serve as a liaison between the building community and the government.

“The REBIC has made a huge difference for us in Charlotte,” Daleure says. “The difference between developing in a city like Los Angeles and in Charlotte is just that.”

Making Progress
While buyers and the development community alike still have a long way to go to fully embrace sustainability, projects like The Vineyards demonstrate that you can include sustainable design in building projects without necessarily sacrificing your profits. They also serve as a testament to the success of compromise between developers and regulators.

“We always try to work with elected officials to evaluate the costs and benefits of changing a regulation,” said Daleure. “If another change adds a good quality-of-life benefit with reasonable cost, we’ll promote that.”

Keys to Practical ­Sustainable ­Development

1. Site design. If geothermal heating and recycled building materials won’t work for your development, start at the bottom—literally. A sustainable site design is one of the most practical ways to incorporate environmental protection measures without significantly affecting the cost or design of the development. Look for opportunities to control erosion, phase construction, and use bioswales, detention ponds, and other natural features for stormwater management.
2. Form and function. As you select those features, design them to double as decorative vegetation, buffers, nature trails, and other amenities. Detention ponds can serve as spray features, wildlife corridors as walking trails, etc.
3. Compromise. Negotiate with regulators to find middle ground. If you maintain 40 percent of a site as open space (well over the usual requirements of 10 to 12 percent), request a higher density allowance and smaller lots.
4. Partnership. Take advantage of similarly minded organizations to help support your efforts or concerns with government officials. Developers’ and home buyers’ associations, environmental groups, and others can provide added resources and voices for implementing changes to regulatory controls. SLDT